English 200: Literary Studies--Innocence and ExperienceProf. Byrne

In the late-18th century at the beginning of the Romantic period, William Blake divided individuals’ existence into two categories, “Innocence” and “Experience,” contrasting the two states of the human spirit. At the same time, the American Revolution gave birth to a new nation, and much of the young country’s social or political history similarly can be seen as a journey from innocence to experience. This course will help develop an understanding of how the significant transitions from innocence to experience by individual characters or by the society of the United States and its institutions have been evident in American literature written during the past two centuries.